Chapter 452 – Method of Ascension

Central Province, Azure Cloud Sect.

The Azure Cloud Sect was no longer as prosperous as it once was. The sect’s main gate, which had once been bustling with activity, now lay in ruins, surrounded by corpses.

Among the bodies were those of Azure Cloud Sect disciples and cultivators from the Nine Realms.

Beyond the sect gate stood the five peaks of the Azure Cloud Sect.

This was also the core area of the Azure Cloud Sect.

A massive mountain-protecting formation enveloped the entire sect, completely shielding the five peaks.

The remaining Azure Cloud Sect disciples held their ground at the five peaks, prepared for a final stand.

Outside the sect’s entrance, a large number of Nine Realms cultivators had surrounded the area.

Among them were descended ancient immortals comparable to Mortal Realm Immortals.

However, these descended ancient immortals seemed to be wary of something and dared not directly attack the current Azure Cloud Sect.

Because over the past four hundred years, several descended ancient immortals had died at the hands of a mysterious sword cultivator from the Azure Cloud Sect.

This mysterious sword cultivator called himself ‘Shangqing Daojun,’ and his Sword Path was peerless.

Normally, Shangqing Daojun was only at the Peak of the Incarnation stage.

But at certain times, for unknown reasons, he could break through the limitations of a Human Immortal and reach the Half-Step Mortal Realm Immortal cultivation.

It was worth noting that even during the Transformation Soul Stage, Shangqing Daojun’s Sword Path could threaten descended ancient immortals.

After reaching the Half-Step Mortal Realm Immortal stage, his Sword Formation reached a level where entering meant certain death.

Even descended ancient immortals were no exception.

This resulted in the destruction of the Azure Cloud Sect being delayed by about four hundred years compared to the Nine Realms’ plan.

These four hundred years were bought by this Shangqing Daojun.

However, during these four hundred years, aside from the emergence of this Shangqing Daojun,

the Nine Realms also produced a powerful sword cultivator.

This sword cultivator’s former identity was the Great Mountain Lord of the Great Thousand Mountains.

For some reason, the talent he displayed in the Sword Path was even comparable to that of the Azure Cloud Sect’s Shangqing Daojun.

However, he did not practice pure Sword Path but controlled swords with Dharma.

Thus, he was called the Nine Realms’ Dao Lord Jifa.

If he could achieve a breakthrough and ascend in the future, he would become the Nine Realms Extremal Dharma Immortal Lord.

Although Dao Lord Jifa did not take action often, each time he did, it shook the heavens and earth.

It was worth noting that the Thirty-Three Heavens had now become aware of the threat from the Nine Realms and had begun to clash directly with the Nine Realms Ancient Immortals.

However, both sides were still somewhat restrained. One reason was that the Immortals of the Thirty-Three Heavens had not yet fully understood the details of the Nine Realms.

They only knew that a True Buddha from the Western Paradise had entered the Nine Realms and never returned.

This was undoubtedly a very bad sign.

Since even the Immortals dared not act rashly, they naturally could not devote more attention to the lower realm of the Azure Cloud World.

As a result, although the Immortals were aware of the situation in the Azure Cloud World, they did not rush to intervene due to concerns for their own safety and various other considerations.

Without the help of the Immortals, the Azure Cloud World could only rely on itself.

However, the resilience of the Azure Cloud World exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Even with little help from the Immortals in the early stages,

the Azure Cloud Sect persisted for a long time.

But now, the Azure Cloud Sect had reached the end of its rope.

Because almost the entire Central Province had fallen.

Of the hundred sects that once existed in the Central Province, some were destroyed, some surrendered, and others disappeared.Only the four provinces outside the Central Province remained relatively untouched by the invasion of the Nine Realms cultivators due to their temporary isolation from the Central Province for special reasons.

Alternatively, it could be said that the continued existence of the Azure Cloud Sect in the Central Province was the very reason why the Nine Realms cultivators had no desire to occupy the four outer provinces.

After all, compared to the Central Province, those four provinces could hardly be considered anything more than barren wastelands.

Let alone comparing them to the heart of the Daluo World—the Thirty-Three Heavens.

Yet what neither the Nine Realms cultivators nor the Immortals of the Thirty-Three Heavens had anticipated was that such remote lands would eventually become a pivotal factor capable of swaying the outcome of the war.

Although this crucial piece would take a long time to manifest its effects.

Azure Cloud Sect, Kangding Peak.

This was the place where the sect’s founding Ancestral Master, the Azure Cloud Immortal, used his Celestial Artifact to suppress the ancient dragon vein, seizing the creation of heaven and earth to nurture his own being.

However, despite its power, this method came with a significant hidden danger.

It required the disciples of Kangding Peak to constantly guard the Dragon-Locking Formation here.

Even the Direct Lineage Disciples of Kangding Peak could not venture deep into the formation to make contact with the sealed Aura Golden Dragon.

But on this very day, a mysterious cultivator advanced unimpeded as if through an unguarded territory, reaching the deepest part of Kangding Peak.

Ten thousand meters underground at Kangding Peak, a massive Aura Golden Dragon seemed to sense something and suddenly raised its head.

It stared at the black-robed cultivator before it and asked, “Who are you?”

The other party offered no reply, instead striking the chains beside the Aura Golden Dragon with a single sword slash.

These chains were forged from the Essence of Origin, impervious to ordinary means of destruction.

Yet, with that one strike, the black-robed cultivator left a shallow sword mark on the chains.

Though the mark was small, it caused the Aura Golden Dragon’s breathing to quicken.

So much so that it could no longer contain its excitement, thrashing violently.

Such actions naturally triggered the punishment of the Dragon-Locking Formation.

Bolts of lightning surged along the chains, striking the Aura Golden Dragon and causing it immense agony.

But compared to the hope that single sword strike had ignited, the mere pain of its Physical Body was nothing.

“Who are you? What do you want?”

Faced with the exhilarated Aura Golden Dragon, the other party said nothing more.

He merely glanced back at the now-cracked chains and left behind a meaningful remark.

“You will know in due time.”

With that, he turned and departed from the Underground Prison.

Witnessing his departure, the Aura Golden Dragon felt not joy but fury.

For it had clearly seen a glimmer of hope for freedom, yet the other party had not acted as it wished, instead forcing it to continue waiting.

The feeling of having hope dangled before its eyes only to be abruptly snatched away was utterly maddening.

But there was nothing it could do. Trapped by the formation, no matter how unwilling, it could only watch as the other party left.

After emerging from the Underground Prison, the black-robed cultivator removed his hood.

This person was none other than Dao Lord Jifa of the Great Thousand Mountains—the Clone left behind by Lu Chen in the Great Thousand Mountains.

Lu Chen’s reason for aiding the Aura Golden Dragon’s escape was his need to leverage the great war between the Azure Cloud Sect and the Nine Realms to achieve his own ascension to Immortality.

Or rather, he had set his sights on the ‘Primordial Qi’ possessed by the descending ancient Gu Xian.

By now, he had long reached the threshold for a Breakthrough.Yet Lu Chen could sense that while he appeared to be just a step away from that legendary Realm, in reality, a vast chasm still lay between them.

To bridge this gap, he needed external assistance—both immense Luck and the Primordial Qi that ordinary Cultivators could never obtain.

Moreover, Lu Chen intended to use this opportunity to shift the Azure Cloud Sect completely into the shadows, achieving two goals at once.

This was Lu Chen’s method of Ascension.

(End of Chapter)